Earlier this year Tim McGraw was forced to pull out as headliner of the inaugural Professional Bull Riders (PBR) “Last Cowboy Standing” competition on July 21 in Fort Collins, Colorado, due to his health. Now, the country superstar admitted he was nearly forced to walk away from his decades-long career after ongoing health battles.
Tim McGraw Nearly Retired From Country Music
During his October 25 concert in California, the “Live Like You Were Dying” artist opened up about his recent health complications.
“I’ve had four back surgeries and double knee replacements, just in the last couple of years,” McGraw, 58, told the crowd as seen in a video shared by Fox News Digital. “And my wife [Faith Hill] is going through quite a few surgeries—she’s had five neck surgeries, and she’s had a couple of hand surgeries.”
He continued, “After going through all of that for a couple of years and getting depressed over it and all those things, stuff not working right, this spring, before I had my final back surgery, things were getting really bad.”
According to McGraw, the stressful last few years saw him “seriously contemplating and figuring out how to walk away.”
He explained that he “didn’t want to,” but he didn’t see another way.
“But it’s gotten better,” he concluded before performing his recent his “King Rodeo — which he wrote with pal Tom Douglas during his health journey.
Tim McGraw Previously Opened Up About His Surgeries
In May, McGraw sat down with Bobby Bones for an appearance on “The Bobby Bones Show,” where he told the radio host about his recent surgical procedures.
At the time, the CMA Award winner had undergone three back surgeries and two total knee replacements in the prior “6 to 8 months.”
“I’m on the upswing now,” he told Bones. “You know, some mornings are good, some mornings it takes a little while, but it’s getting there. I’ve done a lot of rehab, a lot of PT [physical therapy] and now I’m slowly getting back to a routine, very light, but you know, working my way up to it.”
Despite her own health problems, Hill has been an “amazing help” throughout McGraw’s recovery, according to a report by Closer Weekly in March.
“She’s always so good at reminding him to focus on all he has to be grateful for, that has been huge for him as he navigates this,” the outlet reported.
